Material grinding machine



April 7,194 A D. BAKER E AL 2,279,219

MATERIAL GRINDING MACHINE! Filed July 27, 1939 INVENTORS flbner 0. Baker BY Louis A. Baker ATTQRNE Patented Apr. 7, 1942 warren stares MATERIAL GRINDING MACHINE Abner D. Baker and Louis R. Baker, Swanton, Ohio Application July 27, 1939, Serial No. 286,873

1 Claim.

This invention relates to machines for comminuting or breaking up material such, for example, as grain, hay, rock products and other materials of the same or similar nature which are capable of being broken down into small particles.

An object is to produce a machine of the above character which is provided with a rotor having a plurality of fan shaped beater blades which are adapted to be revolved at a relatively high rate of speed within a housing to which material such as grain is fed, means being provided to retard the movement of the material within the housing to afford greater opportunity for the beater blades toimpact the material and there by break it into smaller particles, the material after being broken up'into the desired size, being discharged from the cylinder or housing by centrifugal force. In this manner no suction means is necessary to draw the comminuted particles from the working chamber.

Another object is to produce a machine of the above character in which the volume of material fed to the working chamber is controlled in a simple and eificient manner,the same being adjustable in a convenient manner to adapt the machine for handling difierent materials.

For purposes of illustration but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown on the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the machine or impact mill embodying our invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged perspective view show ing the working chamber and the impactrotor; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1.

The illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises an impact mill or machine having a supporting standard It] which suitably supports opposite end portions of a shaft H, a bearing structure l2 for one end of the shaft being illustrated. Rotatable with the shaft II is a pulley 13 to receive a belt (not shown) to be driven from any suitable source of power such as an electric motor or a power take-off, enabling the shaft to be driven at a relatively high rate of speed. Secured to the inner end of the shaft H as by a key M, is a rotor l which consists of four equi-distantly spaced arms l6, each having a flat faced paddle or hammer portion I! at the outer end and a juxtaposed relatively fiat arm portion I 8. The rear face of each arm is provided with a re-enforced web or flange 19.

Formed on the outer side of each of the arms l5 is a lug 20 which projects outwardly. The lugs 20 are arranged in diametrically opposed pairs, one pair being spaced a greater distance from the axis of the rotor than the other pair and each lug presenting a substantially fiat impact surface at the side of the respective arm facing in the direction of rotation. It will be apparent that the rotor is driven in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2. The lugs 2i] oper-' ate to keep the material within the Working chamber properly stirred up and assist in the breaking up of the same.

The rotor I5 is arranged within an annular working chamber 2! defined by acurvilinear liner 22 provided with a plurality of relatively small rectangularly shaped holes or perforations 23 which are arranged in staggered relation and extend throughout substantially the entire length and breadth thereof. The plate or liner 22 is backed by an imperforate plate24 of substantially the same dimensions. The plates 22 and 24 abut at their outer edges against an upright panel 25 and at their inner edges against an upright panel 26. 'A seriesof bolts 2'! secure these parts together. It will be understood that the supporting standard 10 abuts the outer side of the panel 25 in which an opening is formed through which the inner end portion of the shaft ll extends. The ends of the plates 22 and 24 are spaced from each other to provide a discharge outlet which opens into a conduit 28 leading to a suitable storage bin or hopper (not shown). Covering the outlet is a plate 29 having a series of perforations 30. The plate or screen 29 is removable so that other plates or screens may be substituted having larger or smaller holes according to the desired size of the finished product. As shown, a panel 3! provides a closure for one side of the outlet throat and a curved plate (not shown) on the opposite side cooperates with the panels 25 and 28 to close the sides of the outlet so that the material can be properly directed into the discharge conduit 28.

To enable removal of the perforated plate 29, and to enable it to be replaced by another, the side edges of the plate 29 register with slots in the upright panels 25 and 26 each of which is covered by a relatively narrow plate member 32' which, when removed, affords access to the plate 29. This enables the plate 29 to be pushed outwardly on one side and pulled through the opposite side. Each cover is held in place by a pair of nuts 33 each having a handle to permit convenient manipulation thereof, these nuts engaging bolts secured respectively to the panels and 26.

The upright panel 25 is formed with an opening 34 which opens into the working chamber 2! to provide an air vent for the chamber during the high speed rotation of the rotor l5.

Material to be fed to the working chamber 2| is introduced into a hopper 35 having spaced side walls'36, inclined bottom wall 31, and an end wall 38. The hopper 35 is secured by rivets 39 to a hopper section 40 the inner ends of which are flanged as indicated at 4| through which bolts 42 extend to connect the hopper to the panel 26. In the panel 25 is an opening (not shown) substantially the size of the hopper 35, to permit ingress of material from the hopper. Controlling 1 the movement of material from the hopper 'to the working chamber 2| is a gate valve 43'h'aving braces 44 rigidly securing the valve to a horizontal shaft 45 which extends through openings in" the opposite side walls of thehopper section 40. Extending at right angles to the shaftr45 and integral therewith is an elongate handle portion 46 which is adapted to be engaged by a pivoted catch 41 to hold the gate valve 43 against swinging movement in a direction toward the working chamber. Formed in the lower portion of the gate valve intermediately thereof is a rectangular opening 48 which is adapted to be covered by a slide ,7 49. The slide 49 has a vertical slot 50 through which a bolt 5! extends so that the slide can be raised orlowered to effect the desired adjustment. A handle 52 is formed on the upper end of the slide 49 to enable convenient actuation thereof. Closing the space between the gate valve 43 and the panel 26 is a plate 53 which is secured by bolts 54 ,to opposite sides of the hopper.

- Inoperation it will be apparent that material introduced into the hopper35 is adaptedto be forced past the gate valve 43 when the catch 41 is released'and the rotor l5 operating athigh speed repeatedly pounds the material into a relatively fine mesh. Animportant feature resides in theretarding of the movement of the material within the working chamber, this being accomplished in this instance by a series of holes 23 in the liner 22, although it will be understood that other forms of retarding means can be used to advantage. After the material has been broken up to the desired fineness, it is discharged by centrifugal force through the perforated plate 29 and owing to the high speed at which the rotor is operating, the material is thrown by centrifugal force into the discharge conduit 28 so that it will be delivered without the use of additional means into the storage hopper or bin. Preferably for grinding corn, hay or corn fodder, the slide 49 is closed and the gate 43 allowed to swing freely but ordinarily for grinding grain the gate valve :43 is held closed by the catch 41 and the slide 49 adjusted to the desired position in order to feed the proper amount to the working chamber 2|.

It is to be understood that numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement and operation maybe effected without departing from the spiritof the invention especially as defined in the appended claim. a

I What we claim is:

Animpact millcomprising means providing a working chamber, said means including an annular imperforate surface having a radial discharge opening, a discharge chute adjacent said discharge opening, a replaceable liner for said surface having a multiplicity of relatively small rectangular holes formed therein, said liner being of arcuate shape and in one piece for end-for-end reversal when worn, a rotor in said chamber having a plurality of rigid spokes radiating from a hub in opposedpairs and having impact surfaces formed intheiends of said spokes, integral lug members formedon said,:spokes and projecting laterally therefrom, the lugs on each opposed pair of spokes being spaced equidistant from said hub and at a different distance from said hub than those on the adjacent-opposed pair of spokes, means to drive said rotor, and means to feed material axially to said working chamber.

. ABNER D. BAKER. LOUIS R. BAKER. 

